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Najibullah Zazi Charged for Terror Plot Inside U.S.

WASHINGTON --- The Justice Department today announced that Najibullah Zazi, 24, a
resident of Aurora, Colo., and legal permanent resident of the United
States from Afghanistan, has been indicted in the Eastern District of
New York on a charge of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction
(explosive bombs) against persons or property in the United States.

FBI
agents in Colorado first arrested Zazi on Sept. 19, 2009 pursuant to a
criminal complaint charging him with knowingly and willfully making
false statements to the FBI in a matter involving international and
domestic terrorism. Zazi made an initial court appearance on those
charges in the District of Colorado on Sept. 21, 2009. The government
will ask that those charges be dismissed and that Zazi be transferred
to New York to face this new charge.

Yesterday,
a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of New York returned a
one-count indictment alleging that between Aug. 1, 2008 and Sept. 21,
2009, Zazi knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to use one
or more weapons of mass destruction, specifically explosive bombs and
other similar explosive devices, against persons or property within the
United States. The indictment also alleges that, in furtherance of this
offense, Zazi and others traveled in interstate and foreign commerce,
used email and the Internet, and that this offense and the results of
the offense would have affected interstate and foreign commerce.

"The
indictment alleges that Najibullah Zazi conspired with others to use
explosive devices against persons or property in the United States,"
said Attorney General Eric Holder. "We are investigating a wide range
of leads related to this alleged conspiracy, and we will continue to
work around the clock to ensure that anyone involved is brought to
justice. We believe any imminent threat arising from this case has been
disrupted, but as always, we remind the American public to be vigilant
and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement."

In
a detention motion filed in the Eastern District of New York and the
District of Colorado, the government stated, "In furtherance of the
conspiracy, Zazi received detailed bomb-making instructions in
Pakistan, purchased components of improvised explosive devices, and
traveled to New York City on September 10, 2009 in furtherance of his
criminal plans."

The
government's detention memo further states that "Zazi remained
committed to detonating an explosive device up until the date of his
arrest, as exemplified by among other things, traveling overseas to
receive bomb-making instructions, conducting extensive research on the
internet regarding components of explosive devices, purchasing -- on
multiple occasions -- the components necessary to produce TATP
[Triacetone Triperoxide] and other explosive devices, and traveling to
New York City on September 10, 2009 in furtherance of the criminal
plan."

The Justice
Department will seek to have Zazi transferred from the District of
Colorado to the Eastern District of New York to be arraigned on the
charge in the Brooklyn indictment. If convicted of the charge in the
indictment, Zazi faces a potential sentence of life in prison.